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Russell Crowe To Buy Leeds United?

They're a team made famous by hardmen of the likes of Norman Hunter and Billy Bremner - and now Leeds United could be taken over by a Gladiator.

Oscar-winning New Zealand-born actor Russell Crowe has been linked with buying the Yorkshire football club following a series of intriguing tweets in which he mooted the idea of buying the club that he has supported since his youth.

Twitter user @Samwild90 tweeted Crowe saying "please buy leeds. In need of help!!", which the actor quoted and then added "Anybody else think this is a good idea?"

Predictably, fans then steamed in to react, with most seemingly receptive to the move. Leeds Fans LLP, a group which wants fan ownership of the club, tweeted that "we'd love to have you involved" and adding that "we want a fan voice on the board", to which Crowe responded "There has to be a singular vision. There has to be one voice that sets the tone. Every thought and every decision has to be about success on the field."

Leeds, who have a proud history and a huge fanbase, are currently in a state of flux - as they have been for many years. Currently 14th in the Championship, the second tier of English football, they are currently owned by Eleonora Sport Limited, with president Massimo Cellino banned from the club until April following a guilty tax evasion verdict in his native Italy. He announced earlier today that he had sold his minority stake in the club and also his stake in Eleonora, which owns 75% of the club - apparently to protect the club from any sanctions. However, it is unknown who he has sold to.

It would not be Crowe's first dalliance in sport - he is already the co-owner of rugby league club South Sydney Rabbitohs, who play in Australia's National Rugby League. He missed the Oscars on Sunday night in order to watch them win the World Club Series title by beating St Helens. He paid £1.5m for his stake - buying Leeds could be considerably more expensive.